A few months ago, I decided that I would take on the new world of mommy blogging. I experimented with writing daily, weekly, biweekly and even a newsletter. I’ve had such a great time that I have decided to continue with this new venture into my life as a mother of 3 as I’m due September 22nd. Taking this new step into the world of mommy blogging has allowed me to reflect on the importance of my experience as a mother, which includes my daily life raising my children and additionally, my work. I never realized that my daily schedule included required me to be resourceful with my time, my energy, as well as my income. I came to realize through writing that these strategies that I use on a daily basis are not only applicable to me as a working/stay-at-home mother, but also to other mothers who stay at home, work part time, or are expecting first, second and third babies. Heck, these strategies are even applicable to the stay-at-home or working dad!

So, please feel free to follow me on this journey as I explore the world of blogging outside of fitness and juggle three small children. In the meantime, feel free to explore my website: www.opalmom.com. If you like it, please sign up for my newsletter which I have decided to release on a monthly basis due to the demands of my current work schedule and my schedule with my family. The newsletter includes stories from OPAL Mom™ Members, Followers of my FB Page, and my Twitter followers (@OpalMomBlog) in addition to special offers from companies that I support and love:

As Father’s Day approaches, I’m remembering all the wonderful things that my father and I did over the course of my life. While he was very strict and quite blunt with his words if you truly asked for his opinion, he was a single dad raising me alone, and did one hell of a job. He taught me how to live with purpose, stand up for myself, find strength in struggle and how to go after what I want. He was truly meant to be my father, and here are a few reasons of why I’m proud he is.

1. At the age of 6 months, I was kidnapped. Against all odds, my father (at the age of 22) did everything in his power to make sure that he found me, and after a year of trying, failing, and trying again…he succeeded.

2. Each day after that, he would comb, braid and barrette my hair.

3. He always scratched my back until I fell asleep.

4. When I was a little girl, he would play Native American flute music for me at bedtime.

5. In the summer, we would sit in my grandmother’s backyard and pick fresh raspberries and chives from our little garden.

6. On very early mornings, he would make me hot tea with honey and raisins inside each cup.

7. On the way to the laundromat on those very early mornings (5am), he would buy me my favorite breakfast sandwich. After I ate it, he would make me a bed on the folding table next to him so I could doze while he folded laundry.

8. During my toddler years, we would take road trips out west in the summer, blaring classic Van Halen all the way. I would request that my dad play this band by asking him to play the music with the man that screams (David Lee Roth).

9. Every night before bed, my father would read Dr. Suess books to me.

10. On the weekends, he’d give me a pen and let me draw pictures on his back.

11. In the fall season, he would make sure to watch the Wizard of Oz with me when it came on tv. This was the first movie to make me cry as he recalls hearing me cry while Dorothy sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I still remember him asking me, “Why are you crying baby girl?” to which I responded, “Because it’s so pretty”. This is still one of my favorite movies.

12. My dad would do the best impression of Donald Duck to make me laugh when I was having a temper tantrum or meltdown.

13. There was a time when I was 2 years old that I had a babysitter who locked me in my bedroom when I was crying while she sat in the living room and watched tv. I told my dad about it when he got home from work, and the next day when she showed up for work, he said to her, “My daughter has something to say to you.” to which I replied, “You’re Fi-oohed!” I still remember him laughing when her jaw dropped and when he followed up by saying, “Now get the f*ck out!”. I still giggle thinking about it.

14. There was a length of time where I was being abused on a daily basis by a step-parent from the ages of 3-7 years old that my father didn’t know about. On one particular day, I remember praying to God to send my dad home early from to see what was happening and swoop me up and carry me away. Moments after I finished this prayer, (and in the midst of being beaten) I opened my eyes to see my dad tearing off the front door of our home rushing toward me to swoop me up and take me away.

15. My dad didn’t let me date until I was 16…and rightfully so.

16. Every Friday until I graduated high school, we would go grocery shopping together out of town to make it an adventure.

17. After senior graduation, my father and I took one last trip out west before I made my first big move to Los Angeles. We spent one week hiking in Yosemite, and afterward one week in Las Vegas. While we waited at the airport for my flight to Los Angeles, he asked me to open my carry on luggage. Inside, I remember two compilation CDs. One was labeled “Baby Girl Music” and consisted of all the music that reminded him of me, and the other was “Heart Music” which was his favorite music that came straight from his heart. I listened to those CD’s for years, remembering all the fond memories of years past as I made my way into the world on my own for the first time. I still own those CDs.

Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful fathers out there!

Share your memories of your dad in the OPAL Mom™ Community Forum: www.opalmom.com

Father’s Day is fast approaching and I’m trying to decide what to buy for my husband, my own father and my father-in-law. There are so many choices at varying price points so I’ve compiled a collection of my favorite items for Father’s Day gifts to fit any budget. Take a look below!

Keep Calm It’s Daddy’s First Father’s Day Baby

Bodysuit by Festive Threads

This one is for the daddy-to-be. Keep Calm? Oh sure! I thought this was an adorable option for those who are welcoming or have welcomed a newborn to the family just in time for Father’s Day. This one is available in hot pink, perfect for a new, arriving baby girl.

Chillsner

Does the dad you are shopping for like beer? Then this icicle shaped device is what you should buy him for Father’s Day. Chillsner cools any beverage almost immediately and fits perfectly inside the bottle itself and chills the beer to perfection every time.

SKLZ Gold Flex Strength And Tempo Trainer

If the dad you are shopping for is anything like my husband, then he will love this gift. I’m considering this gift for my husband as he loves golf and practices daily in our basement with his own clubs. This would add a little kick to his game! He’s also Titleist certified to train through his personal training business so why not try out a new product?

iDevices – iGrill2

Have a dad in your life who likes to precision time their grilling? Then this item is a must for them on Father’s Day. With Bluetooth as part of this device, dad can track the progress of the meat on the grill from his phone and make the perfect steak for everyone.

Amazon Fire TV

Amazon Fire TV is a great Father’s Day option for a multitude of reasons. With instant streaming and over 200,000 TV episodes and movies, millions of songs, and over a hundred games, this gift will satisfy the tech-saavy dad as well as the dad who just wants to relax at the end of a long day.

Basis Carbon Steel Health Tracker

This sleek looking tracker not only offers the appeal of aesthetic but also captures heart rate, motion, activity trends, & sleep patterns, in addition to skin temperature and perspiration levels. This tracker also offers suggestions to the dad wearing it on how to optimize their daily performance. What dad doesn’t want to be a super hero?

Go Pro Hero3+: Silver

This Father’s Day gift is for the dad who enjoys the outdoors and doesn’t want to miss a second of the experience. This device easily clips to helmets and can even record under water. It comes with an accompanying app that allows you to adjust lighting, frame rates and other options as well.